Indian team vice-captain Shreyas Iyer on Saturday made an excellent catch, breaking a crucial partnership between Alex Carey and Matt Renshaw in the third ODI against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).
However, the catch—at the third ball of the 34th over—came at a cost: the batter was seen clutching his ribs in pain just seconds after securing the ball, and then rolling onto his left side.
This has sparked concerns over the vice-captain's ability to bat against Australia in the second innings.
How it happened
In the third ball of the 34th over, Harshit Rana fired a long, back-of-length delivery at Alex Carey, who had by then formed a steady partnership with Matt Renshaw.
Carey miscued the shot, sending it high into the air. Keeping his eyes on the ball, Iyer moved back from the in-field position, and suddenly darted forward to grab it.
He quickly grabbed the ball, keeping it close to his chest. However, the sudden lunge forced him to roll on his left side as he fell, as Indian fans applauding the catch suddenly turned silent when he began wincing in pain, clutching his rib area.
Kuldeep Yadav had a physio called, who examined Iyer for several tense minutes, before the injured vice-captain was helped off the field.
Can he bat against Australia today?
Though the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has not officially ruled Shreyas Iyer out of batting in today's match, it is likely that the 29-year-old will miss the remainder of the match, as his injury looked serious.
The injury comes as a major blow for India as Shreyas Iyer has been in stellar form throughout the series, with a solid 61 in the previous ODI against Australia.
He is also expected to skip the T20Is against Australia, as well as the Tests against South Africa at home.